THE SHIP WE WERE TO BOARD AS THEY TOLD US WAS A PRIZE OF WAR IN WORLD WAR 1 AND IT HAD BEEN THE KISER'S YACHT. I BELIEVE THE NAME OF IT WAS THE OTSEGO. I NEVER KNEW WHAT THE KISER CALLED IT. IT WAS A FAIRLY LARGE SHIP AS YACHTS GO. I WOULD HAVE NEVER BELIEVED THAT THEY COULD GET A WHOLE REGIMENT ON IT THOUGH. ALL OUR GUNS WERE CHAINED UP ON THE DECK. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THE DAMM THING WOULD SINK WHEN WE LEFT THE HARBOR. WE WERE CRAMPED IN THE HOLD LIKE SARDINES AS MOST TROOP SHIPS ARE. ALMOST 2000 OF US. AND ALL HAPPY TO GO I MIGHT ADD. WE WERE GOING TO KILL JAPS. ALTHOUGH IT DIDN'T WORK QUITE THAT WAY FOR US.
WELL BACK TO THE STORY. WE WERE GOING IN CONVOY THRU THE ALASKAN PASSAGE AND ABOUT FOUR DAYS OUT THEY DECIDED TO TRY OUT THE GUN ON THE FANTAIL OF THE SHIP.
I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THIS WAS THE ONLY GUN THEY HAD AVAILABLE OR WHAT THE REASON WAS AT THE TIME. BUT WHO-EVER THOUGHT OF IT WAS OUT OF HIS MIND. THEY HAD MOUNTED AN EIGHT INCH NAVAL GUN ON THE FANTAIL. KNOW JUST STOP AND THINK FOR A MINUTE. WHAT THE HELL IS A GUN THAT LARGE DOING ON A CONVERTED YACHT.
THEY MADE ALL THE ARMY PERSONNEL GO BELOW DECKS AND WAIT UNTIL THE FIRING WAS OVER. WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WAIT LONG. WHEN THAT FIRST SHOT WENT OFF EVERY FITTING IN THE WHOLE SHIP BURST. WE WERE COVERED WITH WATER AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT COULD POSSIBLY COME OUT OF A PIPE. SOME OF WHICH I WON'T GO INTO AT THIS TIME. THEY EVEN HAD A DESTROYER COME ALONG SIDE IN CASE THEY HAD TO GET MORE PUMPS TO GET RIDE OF ALL THE MESS IN THE HOLD. THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AND IT WASN'T TOP BE MY LAST.
WE SAW THAT SAME SHIP ABOUT TWO YEARS LATER AND THEY HAD TAKEN THAT EIGHT INCH GUN OFF AND REPLACED IT WITH A THREE INCH NAVAL GUN WHICH CERTAINLY MADE A HELL OF LOT MORE SINCE.
IT'S LITTLE THINGS LIKE THIS THAT MAKE FOR A LOT OF MEMORIES TO PASS ON TO MY GRAND CHILDREN. I HOPE THEY NEVER HAVE TO EXPERIENCE ANYTHING OTHER THAN MY STORIES. I WOULD SUPPOSE THAT SOME OF THEM ARE A LITTLE HARD TO BELIEVE BUT THERE ALL VERY TRUE.
I WOULDN'T TRADE ANY OF THESE TALES FOR ANYTHING BUT I DON'T BELIEVE I'D WANT TO GO THROUGH THEM AGAIN..